The Queen Mother Part II

When we left Elizabeth and Bertie, they were happily married and raising their two daughters.  They were able to balance their public duties with their personal lives in a way that allowed them to lead almost normal lives.  But that was all about to change.

Elizabeth and her daughters

King George V had died, leaving David to lead the country as King Edward VIII.  But David was smitten with Mrs. Simpson, the twice-divorced American, and insisted on marrying her, a thing he could not do, as the head of the Church of England.  So he abdicated, and Bertie became King George VI, a role which, as a second son, he had never expected to play.  He was terrified and felt completely unprepared.  It was only Elizabeth’s constant, loving support which got him through.

Now as Queen, Elizabeth had many more duties of state to perform, and often she was accompanied by her daughters on these.  She and Bertie traveled internationally, carrying out important state visits which were vital for international relations.  The Queen’s grace and impeccable style were a huge hit in Paris, and the French press announced that they were a monarchy once again.  On another trip, Elizabeth and Bertie were the first royal couple to visit the United States.  President FDR and First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt were instantly taken with the Royal Couple, and they all got along splendidly.  They were also well-received in Canada, despite the continual difficulty of the King’s stammer, which was only aggravated when he delivered a speech in French. 

Bertie, Elizabeth, and Princess Elizabeth

Then, war was declared, and once again, the family’s life turned upside down.  But just as Elizabeth recognized the importance of always appearing as a gracious and courteous monarch, she now recognized the importance of standing strong in the face of the enemy, and encouraging her people by doing so.  Many children were being sent away from London to the countryside, and even to North America in some cases.  It was suggested that the young princesses be evacuated, but Elizabeth replied, “The children will not leave unless I do.  I shall not leave unless their father does, and the King will not leave the country in any circumstances whatsoever.” 

Throughout the war, the King and Queen visited sites of destruction by the London Blitz, as well as hospitals, factories, and troops in the field.  On these visits, she was always dressed well, saying, “If these poor people were coming to see me, they would dress their best, so I will dress well to see them.”  Their manner exuded the now famous motto: “Keep Calm and Carry On.”  They had a ration book just like every other British citizen.  The Queen formed a knitting society to meet at Buckingham Palace.  Their efforts were so effective in improving morale that Hitler regarded her as the most dangerous person in Europe.  In 1940, Buckingham Palace was hit by bombs, and Elizabeth’s famous remark was, “I’m glad we’ve been bombed.  Now we can look the East End in the face.” (The East End had seen a great deal of destruction during the Blitz.)

Bertie and Elizabeth in the ruins of Buckingham Palace

The war was a horrible strain on Bertie.  He was a very heavy smoker, and would sometimes have outbursts of temper.  When that happened, Elizabeth was the only one who could help him regain his self-control.  She would teasingly take his pulse in an effort to get him to laugh at himself.  She helped him let go of the worries which plagued him, giving him ulcers and other health problems.  Their efforts and sacrifices were finally rewarded when victory was achieved.  One factor that helped bring this victory about was the successful state visits which the King and Queen had made, especially in the United States.

Princess Elizabeth, Elizabeth, Bertie, and Princess Margaret on the balcony of the Palace, celebrating victory

Shortly after the war, Princess Elizabeth married, and then gave birth to a son.  Both of these events were a great joy, and comfort to her parents, especially her father, who could now rest easy that the family line would continue after his death.  George, their first grandson, was very close with his grandmother.  She recognized in him the same shyness and fragility which her husband possessed.  After George left home for boarding school, which he greatly disliked, he would often spend holidays with his grandparents.  Elizabeth encouraged him in the same way she had done for Bertie, helping him to overcome these obstacles. 

In 1948, Elizabeth and Bertie celebrated their 25^th Anniversary.  Bertie was in poor health, never having truly recovered his strength after the war.  He gave a speech, in which he acknowledged the great debt he owed to his wife, and how much she had inspired him.  His health continued to decline, and as it did, Elizabeth and her daughters took on most of his public speaking engagements and state visits.  He died peacefully in his sleep in 1952, at only 57 years old.  His daughter was now Queen Elizabeth II. 

The Queen Mother with one of her corgis.

The Queen Mother, as Elizabeth now styled herself, to avoid confusion with her daughter, blamed David for her husband’s early death.  It was not until David’s death that he was once again accepted as a member of the family.  She had seen the pressures of his responsibilities as king crush her husband, especially during the war, despite her doing everything in her power to ease these burdens.  Now, Elizabeth focused her support on her daughter, who became Queen at 26 years old, and helping her adjust to her new role, as she had helped her husband adjust twenty some years prior.  Except now, she had experience.  She also maintained a very busy life, full of social and state engagements, always being a very positive image of the Royal Family.

By the time she died, she had been a widow for more years than she had been a wife, but she knew that she was living the kind of life that Bertie would have wanted her to.  She lived to see her great grandchildren start to grow up.  She saw many of her grandchildren go through troubled marriages and divorce, which was not easy to bear, but she never let her personal disappointment, or feelings toward certain members of the family, get in the way of fulfilling her duties.  In 2002, at the age of 101, the Queen Mother died in her sleep at her home.  Queen Elizabeth II, her only surviving daughter, was at her side.

References:

The Queen Mother – 100 Years in 100 Minutes, YouTube

                (Check it out if you’re interested.  There’s loads of fun, girly details about dresses, tiaras and such, as well as juicy gossip about royals! )